


Like a child yearns for candy

by morspraematura



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 19:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5218085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morspraematura/pseuds/morspraematura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Root wished she could remember more often to never take Shaw for granted, as she walked to no particular destination, and pondered about the few possibilities to bear in mind given the recent discovery in Shaw’s pockets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a child yearns for candy

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Caro :) I wanted to give you Root x Shaw eskimo kisses but it kind of turned out into this.

Shaw was one who, no one standing on this planet, could ever take for granted. Root was reminded of this as much when, without meaning to, she found a ticket to Spain and back, four days. She had taken Shaw’s coat to go for a walk in the morning and, as she slipped her hands into the pockets, she regretted not keeping in mind of how uncertain Shaw’s permanence around her was. Regret was the correct word, because it was so easy to forget about this small detail when Shaw was around; every time they spent an afternoon, an evening, an entire weekend together, or ten hours in CIA safe house, which left Root feeling she now loved Shaw a little more than before. Root wished she could remember more often to never take Shaw for granted, as she walked to no particular destination, and pondered about the few possibilities to bear in mind given the recent discovery in Shaw’s pockets.

Obviously, Shaw was not leaving for good. Or at least not for now. Perhaps Tomas had thought about Shaw for a specific mission; perhaps there was no mission at all and no one needed an excuse, or maybe, mission or not this could serve as reckon to something a little more… permanent. It hit her hard, because she didn’t Shaw would hear from Tomas especially after several months had passed ever since. Hell, Root had even forgotten about Tomas the moment Shaw had pronounced how there were things she cared about here. After perhaps an hour or two walking, Root found a bench and sat on it.

She just sat there, aware of her own condition. She just sat there, aware of her overthinking, even. It wasn’t conventional sadness what she was feeling, it was powerlessness. Root really wished she hadn’t found that ticket, but part of her also needed to be aware. Awareness, however, failed to let Root notice it had started snowing, or how much time had passed, or just how many cups of coffee spiced with a few extra ounces of scotch she had had. She must have been so caught up that she couldn’t see coming an alarmed Shaw leaning down enough to grab her by the shoulders and asking her where she had been.

‘Finch called. I’ve been looking for you for an hour-’ Shaw stopped when she noticed Root’s blurry eyes and heavily reddened nose, and that slight but evident smell of liquor. Shaw’s expression returned from alarmed to her usual serious expression.

'You've been drinking.' Shaw stated the obvious.

‘Does Harold still need anything?’ Root asked lifting her gaze from the floor, but avoiding Shaw’s eyes for the moment.

Shaw shook her head no. There was silence for a moment, Shaw still standing in front of Root, who took off the coat and handed it to Shaw.

‘Sorry I took it, this is yours.’ Root’s voice was soft.

‘What are you doing? You’re gonna freeze, and since when do you apologize for taking my clothes?’

The realization hit Shaw when she remembered what coat that was, and she calmly sat next to Root, looking at her. Root was still avoiding her gaze, even more so now that she felt it upon her. Silence remained but Shaw was not uncomfortable. She took the coat and put it on Root’s shoulders. This last thing earned a look from Root, and a puzzled one at that.

‘Root,’ Shaw’s tone was serene, as she slipped her hand to the pocket that contained the ticket and took it out ‘since you’re too proud to ask, yes. I am going to Spain.’

‘I’m not being proud,’ Root protested as serious as ever ‘that’s your business, is all.’

‘If you looked that ticket closely, you would’ve seen I will be back.’

Root arched her brows in confusion, as if it really was none of her concern. Because it really wasn’t. If Shaw was so much as considering Spain as more than a one-time thing, Root was not one to say a word. Whatever way Shaw would ever choose her happiness, Root was not one to intervene.

‘You’re funny.’ Shaw started ‘You keep bugging me every day, you keep showing up at my day jobs, and today it’s like you’ve become a child who won’t take what’s been offered to them because-’ but she was cut off.

‘Because what you decide for yourself is yours and always has been. Because if you found something somewhere else, words are not necessary.’ Root had kept her voice steady and calm, but her cheeks were now burning, her nose was almost running, red as ever, and her eyes itched terribly.

‘Root,’ Shaw’s voice didn’t change from her serene tone in any moment ‘it’s true, I can’t say where I’ll be in five years from now on. Root, look at me. Same as Harold, John, you and me can’t say what’s gonna happen next month.’

Root’s gaze was little by little meeting up with Shaw’s, at the point she was making. No one could make a long-term statement given their lifestyle, yet Shaw was here, literally next to her, by choice. And so there were no need for words to reach the understanding that uncertainty did not mean they wouldn’t be around each other for as much as they could and wanted to. Root’s expression relaxed as she was now meeting Shaw’s gaze fully.

Another lovely thing about Shaw was that, despite her not smiling very often, it was sometimes possible to notice a smile in her eyes alone, like now.

‘Guess what’s happening next week, though?’ Shaw flashed the smallest and most satisfied smirk, and Root let the ice break as she raised her eyebrows waiting for an answer ‘International Paella contest, open to the public, in Valencia. You found my ticket but you didn’t see yours in my drawer.’

One rebel tear streamed down Root’s cheek; she embarrassedly sniffed and wiped it out with the back of her hand. Shaw took Root’s hand in hers, still at the level of Root’s face and she could feel her burning cheeks, despite the snow falling.

‘You’re face is burning,’ Shaw took the base of Root’s head in her hands, and the other woman’s cheeks between both her thumbs gently to close the gap between their faces. Their noses bumped all but clumsily and Shaw grazed them playfully ‘but how come your nose is so cold?’ Root closed her eyes while leaning in, dwelling in the scent of Shaw, and feeling the warmth of Shaw’s body temperature, opposite to hers, like a child yearns for candy. ‘Come on, let’s get you a cup of something warm. I’m sure your hands and feet feel like ice and you’re not getting back into my bed like that.’

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you're going to say. This level of fluff would never happen in canon and both their characters border in OOC. But guess what? I want the fluff. For the pain the canon by itself gives us with this pairing, and for the love of humanity -I need the fluff. Besides, when you love someone, there are moments when you don't act like your fully self, right?


End file.
